School desks

ABSTRACT

A school desk comprises a front compartment which opens in an upward direction. For closing the compartment use is made of a folding flap which, for opening the compartment, can be slid quietly underneath the top of the desk.

United States Patent Flototto [54] SCHOOL DESKS [72] Inventor: Fritz Flototto, Uber Bielefeld II,

Friedrichsdorf near Bielefeld, Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 14, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 71,654

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 15, 1969 Germany ..P 19 46 659.2

[52] US. Cl ..312/231 [51] Int. Cl ..A47c 1/00 [58] Field of Search ..108/71, 72, 73, 75, 146, 63, 108/93; 312/29, 25, 231, 333, 313; 248/456,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,673,595 3/1954 Kump, Jr ,297/ 172 1 Sept. 12, 1972 2,022,318 11/1935 Lanum ..108/75 2,171,664 9/1939 McFarland ..312/215 1,858,103 5/1932 Menon ..108/5 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,390,426 1/1965 France Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Garry Moore Attorney-Birch, Swindler, McKi e & Beckett [5 7] ABSTRACT A school desk comprises a front compartment which opens in an upward direction. For closing the compartment use is made of a folding flap which, for opening the compartment, can he slid quietly underneath the top of the desk 18 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures Patented Sept. 12, 1972 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 hunted Sept. 12, 1912 3,690,743

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 12, 1972 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 12, 1972 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 SCHOOL DESKS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION that part adjacent to a pupil sitting at the desk while the term in front with respect to the desk means that part of the desk which is remote from the pupil sitting at the desk.

2. The Prior Art In a known school desk of this type the compartment extends between the front wall of the desk and a wall spaced from it, which extends perpendicularly from the front edge of the top or writing surface of the desk in a downward direction. In this fashion the pupil sitting at the desk has immediately behind the desk top a compartment for the accommodation of folders, books, writing materials and the like. The compartment is accessible from above so that the articles kept by the pupil or for the pupil in the compartment are substantially easier to get to than is the case with the compartment which is only accessible from the side or below the desk top or writing surface. The compartment opening is, however, open in an upward direction so that the stored articles in the desk may easily become dirty and articles may easily fall from the top of the desk or writing surface unawares into the compartment. Furthermore, the desk top available is smaller in size than in the case of a desk top or writing surface extending as far as the front wall of the desk.

The covering of the compartment opening with a pivoting board or plate, which might be considered as a possibility, has, however, the disadvantage that the hinge necessary for this purpose could easily be damaged if the flap is swung too far. Such a construction would not have the necessary degree of robustness necessary for use in schools. Furthermore, the provision of a flap can be swung upwards may put the pupils out of sight of the teacher and vice versa.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION One object of the invention is that of providing a school desk of the above'described type in which a cover is used which does not reduce the size of the desk top, can be easily and reliably operated and if required in the open condition does not form an obstruction in the front part of the desk.

In order to achieve this aim the invention provides a school desk which is characterized in that the compartment opening can be closed with a folding flap which for opening the compartment can be moved while guided by lateral guides under the desk top or writing surface.

A desk of this type can be used both advantageously in schools and also in offices or as furniture for the home. The folding flap closes the opening in such a manner in accordance with the invention that its upper surface is adjacent to the immediately adjacent desk top. Owing to the provision of this feature no desk surface is lost in the closed condition. For opening the compartment the folding flap is lowered using the lateral guide and displaced so as to come to lie directly underneath the desk top. In this condition the school desk in accordance with the invention has all the advantages of a desk with a compartment opening which cannot be closed, that is to say the interior of the compartment can easily be reached by the pupil, without a bulky folding part being arranged on the outside attached to this front wall or in the front part above the desk. In order to close the compartment opening the folding flap can easily be drawn upwards and forwards until it is aligned with the desk top and thus the compartment is completely closed. The lateral guides which are arranged on the inner side of the desk ensure that the folding flap cannot be drawn out and can only be moved backwards and forwards without any noise between the open and closed positions of the compartment.

In accordance with the invention the lateral guides for the front part of the folding flap on both sides consist of sliding rails, inclined downwards towards the rear, on the inside of the desk lateral parts defining the compartment and for the rear part of the folding flap they comprise guide grooves arranged on the inner side of the lateral desk parts. These grooves run at a position adjacent to the front edge of the desk top firstly downwards for a short distance and from this position run underneath the desk top. A sliding pin arranged in the front part of the lateral narrow side of the folding flap projects respectively into these grooves.

The sliding rails extending from. the front side of desk at first run horizontally, in order to provide a horizontal support face for the flap in the closed position. If required pins or the like can be arranged on the rear narrow side of the flap and extend into corresponding holes in the front narrow side of the desk flap in the closed condition of the compartment opening. This ensures that unintentional pressure on the folding flap immediately adjacent to the top of the desk will not swing the folding flap downwards. Generally, however, it may be taken that the horizontal abutment on the sliding rails will ensure that there is no undesired swinging of the folding flap in a downward direction. To cover cases in which both pins and holes are to be provided, the upper end of the guide groove is in each case to be made broader so that the flap, before being pivotally moved, can firstly be swung forwards a certain distance so that the pins come out of engagement with the holes.

Below the desk top behind the lower end of each guide groove at the parts of the side parts of the desk concerned there is an elastic abutment for buffering the folding flap by engaging its rear edge.

In accordance with a further development of the school desk in accordance with the invention the guide grooves at a position underneath the front edge of the desk top have branching grooves extending downwards and to the rear for erecting the folding flap and setting it obliquely. The folding flap is supported in the oblique position by the sliding rails on both sides, the rails are arranged to pass around the branching groove in accordance with the thickness of the folding flap though allowing a clearance or play with respect to it. This construction of the school desk in accordance with the invention makes it possible to arrange the folding flap so as to be oblique immediately in front of the desk top and so as to make a continuation of it, for instance more especially for reading books, which for this purpose are leant against the obliquely set folding flap. With this arrangement it is possible to take account of the fact that the natural angle between the head and the book during reading amounts to approximately 33. If, on the other hand, during reading the book lies on the level desk top and the pupil remains in a comparatively upright position, overstraining of the eyes may readily lead to fatigue. Therefore a particular advantage of the arrangement in accordance with the invention is that simply by setting the folding flap obliquely an oblique support surface is provided on the school desk. For obliquely setting the flap the pupil only needs to raise the flap and with a light pressure to press it downwards within the branch grooves. In the obliquely set position the flap is supported on the sliding rails, which in accordance with the thickness of the flap are arranged around the branch groove soas to allow a clearance. Between the folding flap and the sliding rails surrounding it on both sides there is a certain play or clearance so that the folding flap can easily be moved when this is desired. In the oblique position the flap, however, automatically comes to rest and abuts against the sliding rails. The sliding rails assure a stable construction as regards every position of the folding flap.

Preferably the desk top is inclined to the rear from the horizontal away from the compartment opening. Owing to this inclination of the desk top pupils can read texts placed on the desk top more satisfactorily and can check what they write. The inclination of the desk top furthermore leads to an improved physical posture of the pupils. Furthermore, the inclination of the desk facilitates displacement of the desk top, since the latter must in any case be somewhat inclined or swung for opening the compartment in order to displace the folding flap underneath the desk top. When the desk top is inclined, the slightly swung folding flap can be moved further parallel to the slope of the desk. In this case an inclined desk top forms an ideal addition to the construction in accordance with the invention, since it is advantageous from the design point of view and completely takes account of orthopedic requirements.

Preferably the two desk side parts receiving the desk top are formed integrally with the sliding rails and guide grooves from a material which can be worked without machining, that is to say removal of chips. For this purpose it is possible to use, for example, cast metal. It is, however, also possible to use metals which can be formed in a different manner. However, preferably the desk side parts are made of a plastic. This thus presents the possibility of constructing the side guides precisely while nevertheless, in the case of the production of a sufficient number of desks, ensuring for low costs.

In accordance with a further development of the invention each side part of the desk is divided up into an upper side plate or board and a lower support which can be adjusted perpendicularly in relation to the side plate. This position makes possible an adjustment of the height of the desk so that the desk can be made to suit pupils of different sizes. Furthermore, the lower supports can easily be removed from the desk so that the desk in accordance with the invention can easily be stored, packed and transported.

For this purpose there is the provision that the lower support overlaps the respective side plate or board and can be fixed in a position overlapping to any desired degree by means of screw fixing means, in relation to the side plate, while after undoing the screw attachment means it can be slid perpendicularly in relation to the side plates or boards. The lower support preferably has at least one perpendicular row of holes for the screw fixing means, the spacing between the holes being arranged to correspond to the different heights of the desk which are to be capable of being set. The row of holes can, however, also be provided in the lateral or side part. If stepless adjustment is desired, the lower support can have instead of this also at least one perpendicular slot for the screw fixing means. Conveniently there is the feature of the provision of a vertically extending girder running respectively on the inside of the side board and on the outside of the support. The girder of the side board is adapted for making engagement with the girder of the support. This achieves a very stable construction.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide the feature that the support extend downwards between the inner sides of the side boards or plates and the lateral ends of the compartment bottom, which is arranged on both sides with a smallspacing between it and the side boards.

LIST OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS The invention will now be described with reference to embodiments as shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basic desk construction for school use in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a vertically adjustable form of school desk.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a further construction of a vertically adjustable school desk.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a further preferred construction of a vertically adjustable school desk.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the upper part of a vertically adjustable school desk in order to show the vertical adjustment means.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the upper part of a school desk with a compartment opening which can be closed by a folding flap.

FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are diagrammatic side views of the inner sides of the desk in order to indicate the different positions and the pivoting mechanism of the folding flap.

FIG. 7a is a diagrammatic plan view of what is shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a view of a desk side board or plate with 'a diagrammatic representation of the position of a compartment wall, the folding fiap and the desk top in relation to the side plate or board after the desk has been assembled.

FIG. 11 is a plan view ofwhat is shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a partial view of a side plate or board in section along the line XII-XII of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic partial view of the inner side of a desk plate in order to indicate the arrangement of a sheet metal closing element and a lock.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of what is shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic front view of the construction shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS From FIG. 1 it can be seen that a school desk in accordance with the basic construction in accordance with the invention comprise a side part 1 with feet 14, a desk top 4 attached to the side part 1 and a desk box 6 forming the desk compartment, the compartment opening being closed by a following flap 5.

In the case of the. embodiments of the invention in accordance with FIGS. 2 to 4 the side parts 1 are respectively divided up into an upper side plate or board 2 and a lower support 3 connected with it in a detachable manner. The support 3 can be adjusted perpendicularly in relation to the side board 2, as will appear from FIG. 5, so that every desired height of the desk can be achieved as is required.

The folding flap 5 closing the desk box 6 (see FIG. 7) can be displaced owing to the provision of lateral guide grooves 20 which are respectively arranged on the inner side 8 of the desk side parts 1 and the desk side board or plate 2, in a certain manner, since on both sides of the folding flap 5 projecting pins 38 are arranged in the rear part of the respective narrow side of the folding flap 5, and fit into the guide grooves 20. The lower side 11 of the folding flap 5 rests on both sides on sliding rails 27, which are also arranged on the inner sides 8 of the side parts 1 or sides plates or boards 2 and project in an inward direction.

FIG. will be seen to present a detailed showing of the course of the sliding rails as used in a preferred em bodiment of the school desk. The sliding rail 27 starts at the front with a horizontal part 28, whose length corresponds to practically the half of the breadth of the folding flap 5. This is followed by an oblique portion 29 which merges with a bay-like part 30 of the sliding rail 27. This bay-like part 30 passes round a branch groove 21, which will be explained presently. The bay-like part comprises a front part 31, a bottom part 32 following this, and a rear part 33, which joins with a rear supporting part 34 of the sliding rail, which also runs parallel to the inclined lower face 16 of the desk top 4 also shown in FIG. 10. The rear end of the sliding rail 27 forms an abutment 35, which is conveniently provided with an elastic buffer.

The guide groove comprises a widened groove part 22, arranged at a small distance from the front narrow side 17 of the desk top 4 and has an outlet behind which there is a branching position 23 of the groove 20. A straight part 26 of the groove 20 runs parallel to the lower side 16 of the desk top 4 and ends some distance short of the buffer 35. The other groove part extends from the branching position 23 as a branching groove 21 with a more pronounced slope than the straight part 26 downwards until it reaches a position immediately adjacent to the bottom part 32 of the bay-like part of the sliding rail 27. The groove 20 is preferably formed by groove forming webs 21a, which do not extend from the inner side 8 of the desk side part 1 and the side plate or board 2 as far as the sliding rails 27, as will be seen from FIG. 12. In those cases in which a vertically adjustable desk construction is involved, the above-described lateral guides are arranged on the inner side of the side plate 2, while the corresponding side guides are arranged on the inner side of the side parts 1 when it is a question of a desk construction which is not vertically adjustable (see FIG. 1).

In the closed position of the flap 5, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 7, the front part of the lower side 11 of the folding flap 5 abuts against the horizontal part 28 of the sliding rails 27 If the oblique part 29 begins fairly early on, it is convenient to provide pins 18 on the rear narrow side 13 of the folding flap 5, which fit into corresponding holes in the front narrow side 17 of the desk plate in the closed position of the folding flap 5.

On the front wall 41 of the desk box 6 a recess 40 is provided which serves, inter alia, the purpose of facilitating gripping of the front narrow side of the folding flap 5. This construction will appear from FIG. 6.

When the flap 5 is to be brought out of the closed position corresponding to FIG. 7 into the open position, the folding flap 5 is firstly slid to a slight extend forwards so that the pins 18 come out of the holes in the desk top 4. The folding flap 5 can then be swung slightly. so that its rear end can be moved downwards and its front end can be moved upwards to a certain ex tend, the guide pins 38 sliding in the widened groove part 22 as far as the exit 25. The folding flap 5 is then simply pushed to the rear under the desk part 4, the pins 38 sliding in the straight parts 26 of the guide grooves 20 until the rear narrow side of the folding flap makes contact with the abutment 35. In this position the folding flap 5 is directly under the desk top 4 and only the front end of the flap 5 projects into the compartment, so that the flap 5 can be pulled forwards again. What has just been carried out is shown by FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 9 shows a position of the folding flap 5 which is assumed by the flap on moving into an oblique position. In order to reach this position the folding flap 5 is not pushed using the branching position 23 under the desk top 4 but is raised further after the initial pivoting on leaving the closed position until the folding flap 5 slides of its own accord owing to gravity into the oblique position, the guide pins 38 being guided in the branch groove 21. In the oblique position of the folding flap 5 as shown in FIG. 9 the flap has its lower surface 11 resting against the front part 31 of the bay-like rail part 30, while its upper side rests in the lower part against the rear part 33 of the bay-like part. This leads to a very stable construction and there is a loading of the folding flap in the oblique position by the sliding rails without imparing the guides owing to the groove 20 and the pins 38. The same construction is also selected for the straight part 26 of the guide groove and the rear abutment 34 of the sliding rails. In this case as well the folding flap 5 is guided on being displaced with normal pressure exclusively by the groove in conjunction with the pin 38. However, as soon as a stronger excessive load is applied to the folding flap 5, the flap comes to abut against the respective part of the sliding rail, which then takes up the part of the load which should be exerted on the pins 38 and the groove. For the same reason the rear buffer for the flap 5 does not lie within the groove, but forms a part of the sliding rail acting as the abutment 35.

At least the part of the side part 1, adjacent to the desk plate and the desk box 6 is preferably made of a material which can be worked without the removal of chips, for example any type of cast metal, though plastic is preferred. In the case of the division of the side parts into a side plate or board 2 and a support 3 the whole side board 2 is made of such a material which is provided preferably for the construction shown in FIG. 10.

For the mounting of the desk top 4 I provide on each side board 2 and abutment rail 59 with holes 59a for a screw connection. Furthermore, on the inner side of the side board 2 pins 61 are provided, which are adapted to come into engagement with holes (not shown) arranged on the lateral edge of the desk top.

The part of the side board or side part carrying the desk top is closed along the underside by a reinforcing rail 58. The side part or the side board also has various stiffening ribs 62.

The desk box 6 forming a compartment preferably consists of an U-shaped board for forming a front compartment wall 41, a compartment bottom 43 and a rear compartment wall 42. On the sides the desk box 6 is completed or closed by compartment side parts 44, which are slightly lower than the compartment side walls 41, 42. For fixation of the desk box 6 both in the case of the vertically adjustable desk construction and also in the case of a known vertically adjustable construction, supports or abutment rails 39 are provided, which receive the projecting edge strips of the compartment walls 41, 42 (see FIG. 11). Additionally thickened parts 45 are arranged on the inner side of the side board 2 for screw holes 45a. On assembly the compartment side parts come to abut against the smooth surfaces of the thickened parts 45 and are connected with the thickened parts by screw means. By placing the edge strips of the compartment walls 41, 42 between the abutment rails 39 a very stable and rigid connection is achieved between the desk box 6 and the side parts 1 and side boards 2 respectively.

In the case of a vertically adjustable desk construction as shown for example in FIGS. 2, 3 or 4, the side boards 2 have on the inner side a vertically extending girder, which corresponds to a girder on the outer side of the support 3. The construction of the side boards 2 in the case of a form of support 3 as shown in FIG. 4 is also to be seen in FIGS. and 11. In this case the perpendicularly running girder comprises webs 47, which are arranged in pairs with spacing between them and corresponding to an outwardly curved U-girder 49 on the support 3. The choice of a working material is also determined by the selected form for the support 3. The support can be made of cast metal or other materials which can readily be shaped. At the bottom it is connected rigidly with the foot 14. In the upper part it has two rows of holes whose spacing corresponds to the desired heights of the desk, to allow for adjustment of the desk heights (FIG. 5) in the case of the construction shown in FIG. 10. Instead of the rows of holes (not shown) it is also possible to provide vertically extending slots for a stepless adjustment. On the inner side of the side plate 2 thickened parts 46 are arranged between the girder webs 47 with screw holes for receiving screws 51 which extend through holes provided in the support and in conjunction with the girder and the adjacent corresponding piece of girder connecting respective support 3 rigidly to the side board 2. For this purpose the screws 51 pass through suitable holes in the compartment side parts 44. In order to achieve ready adjustability to the various heights of the desk, a strip spring 47a with a pointed part 47b is attached on the side board between two thickened portions 45. On displacing the support 3 the pointed part 47b comes into engagement with different detent notches 470 on the support, the position of these notches corresponding to the various heights of the desk.

In order to set the desk height it is only necessary to loosen the screws 51, that is to say in the case of a stepless adjustment, or to slacken them off and draw them back (if rows of holes are provided on the support 3) in order after displacement of the support 3 in relation to the respective side board 2, to connect the support 3 by means of the screws 51 with the side board 2 rigidly again in the new desired position.

Furthermore, as can be gathered from FIGS. 13 to 15, it is possible to provide a lock on the side parts of locking the folding flap in a closed position of the compartment. For this purpose the underside ll of the folding flap 5 has mounted on it a closing sheet metal element 63 with a hole 66. In the side part 1 and the side plate 2 respectively a cylinder lock 64 is mounted in a hole 67, whose pin 65 extends into the hole 66 of the sheet metal element 63 for locking the folding flap 5. The hole 67 can furthermore be used for the purpose of mounting colored. discs which indicate the desk height which has been set so that a desk chair which suits the desk in height and carries a corresponding colored disc can readily be selected.

Preferably the compartment has holes in its bottom part in order to facilitate cleaning the compartment.

From the preceding description it will be seen that the school desk in accordance with the invention can be used for various purposes and can be modified in a number of different ways. It is, for example, possible to use the school desk as an office desk and possibly arrange for a suspended filing system to be accommodated in the desk box or compartment. It is also possible to arrange for other structures inside the box, such as parts for a language laboratory. It is very advantageous moreover if a front supporting of the folding flap is possible so that the front part of the flap can be moved upwards to such an extent so that the upper surface of the folding flap and the upper surface of the desk plate form a continuous surface, that is to say an uninterrupted surface, as may be desired for example for drawing.

It is also possible to provide for a division up of the compartment which can be closed by the flap using wire or wood inserts so that it is possible to arrange small books or notebooks in such a manner that they can easily be picked up.

I claim:

1. A desk comprising a desk body having side parts and defining a compartment inside of said side parts, said compartment being located at the front of said desk and having an upper opening,

a desk top mounted on said body and extending rearwardly from said opening,

a folding flap adapted to cover said opening, and

guiding and retaining means carried by said desk body to guide and retain said folding flap selectively and alternatively to and in a first position under and generally parallel to said desk top for opening said compartment and to a second position in which a rear part of said folding flap extends obliquely downwardly and rearwardly into said desk body adjacent the front edge of said desk top and a front part of said folding flap extends obliquely upwardly and forwardly from said front edge of said desk top.

2. A desk in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guiding and retaining means comprise sliding rails for supporting and guiding a front part of said folding flap, said rails extending downwardly and rearwardly inside of said side parts adjacent said compartment, guide pins projecting from the rear parts of the respective narrow side of said folding flap, and

guide grooves for guiding a rear part of said folding flap, said grooves being adapted to slidably engage said guide pins and having a first portion extending at a position adjacent the front edge of said desk top initially along a short path in a downward direction and then under said desk top to guide said folding flap to said first position, and also having a second portion comprising a branching groove extending obliquely downwardly to the rear for erecting said folding flap and holding it in said second position.

3. A desk in accordance with claim 2, wherein said folding flap is supported in said second position by means of said guide pins and guide grooves and by said sliding rails.

4. A desk in accordance with claim 2 wherein said sliding rails extend rearwardly and horizontally from the front of said desk across a portion of the narrow sides of said opening to support the front end of said folding flap when said flap covers said opening, and then obliquely downwardly and rearwardly across the remainder of the narrow sides of said opening to support said flap as said flap moves from its covering position toward either of said first or second open positions.

5. A desk in accordance with claim 4 wherein said sliding rails further extend below and parallel to said second groove portion and the part of said first groove portion under said desk top to support said folding flap in said second and first open positions respectively.

6. A desk in accordance with claim 1, in which the desk top slopes downwardly towards the rear from the opening of the compartment.

7. A desk in accordance with claim 1, in which the two desk side parts accommodating the desk top are made integrally with the sliding rails and the guide grooves of material capable of being shaped.

8. A desk in accordance with claim 7, in which on the inner side of the desk side parts support rails are provided for the compartment walls and are formed integrally with the desk side parts using a material capable of being shaped.

9. A desk in accordance with claim 8, in which the desk side parts are made of cast metal.

10. A desk in accordance with claim 8, in which the desk side parts are made of metals capable of being kneaded.

11. A desk in accordance with claim 6, in which the desk side parts are made of plastic.

12. A desk in accordance with claim 1, comprising on the underside of the folding tllap at a small distance short of its front end a locking sheet metal element projecting downwards and having a hole, a cylinder lock mounted in the respective side part, and a pin on the lock arranged to fit into the hole.

13. A desk in accordance with claim 1, in which each side part is divided up into an upper side board and a lower support which can be vertically adjusted in relation to the side board.

14. A desk in accordance with claim 13, in which the 1 wer su ort overla s the res ective side bo rd and the desk mprrses sc i'ew connePctmg means wh ich can t be undone for holding the respective support in relation to the side board and enabling them to be adjusted in relation to each other vertically.

15. A desk in accordance with claim 14, in which each lower support has at least one vertical row of holes for the screw attachment means, the distance between the holes being matched to suit the different desired heights of the desk.

16. A desk in accordance with claim 14, in which each lower support has at least one vertical slot for a stepless setting of height by means of the screw setting means.

17. A desk in accordance with claim 16, in which to the inside on each side plate and to the outside on the support vertically running girders are provided, the girder on the side board being adapted to engage the girder of the support.

18. A desk in accordance with claim 17, in which the supports extend downwards between the inner side of the side boards and the lateral ends of the compartment bottom and are arranged on both sides at a small distance in relation to the side boards. 

1. A desk comprising a desk body having side parts and defining a compartment inside of said side parts, said compartment being located at the front of said desk and having an upper opening, a desk top mounted on said body and extending rearwardly from said opening, a folding flap adapted to cover said opening, and guiding and retaining means carried by said desk body to guide and retain said folding flap selectively and alternatively to and in a first position under and generally parallel to said desk top for opening said compartment and to a second position in which a rear part of said folding flap extends obliquely downwardly and rearwardly into said desk body adjacent the front edge of said desk top and a front part of said folding flap extends obliquely upwardly and forwardly from said front edge of said desk top.
 2. A desk in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guiding and retaining meAns comprise sliding rails for supporting and guiding a front part of said folding flap, said rails extending downwardly and rearwardly inside of said side parts adjacent said compartment, guide pins projecting from the rear parts of the respective narrow side of said folding flap, and guide grooves for guiding a rear part of said folding flap, said grooves being adapted to slidably engage said guide pins and having a first portion extending at a position adjacent the front edge of said desk top initially along a short path in a downward direction and then under said desk top to guide said folding flap to said first position, and also having a second portion comprising a branching groove extending obliquely downwardly to the rear for erecting said folding flap and holding it in said second position.
 3. A desk in accordance with claim 2, wherein said folding flap is supported in said second position by means of said guide pins and guide grooves and by said sliding rails.
 4. A desk in accordance with claim 2 wherein said sliding rails extend rearwardly and horizontally from the front of said desk across a portion of the narrow sides of said opening to support the front end of said folding flap when said flap covers said opening, and then obliquely downwardly and rearwardly across the remainder of the narrow sides of said opening to support said flap as said flap moves from its covering position toward either of said first or second open positions.
 5. A desk in accordance with claim 4 wherein said sliding rails further extend below and parallel to said second groove portion and the part of said first groove portion under said desk top to support said folding flap in said second and first open positions respectively.
 6. A desk in accordance with claim 1, in which the desk top slopes downwardly towards the rear from the opening of the compartment.
 7. A desk in accordance with claim 1, in which the two desk side parts accommodating the desk top are made integrally with the sliding rails and the guide grooves of material capable of being shaped.
 8. A desk in accordance with claim 7, in which on the inner side of the desk side parts support rails are provided for the compartment walls and are formed integrally with the desk side parts using a material capable of being shaped.
 9. A desk in accordance with claim 8, in which the desk side parts are made of cast metal.
 10. A desk in accordance with claim 8, in which the desk side parts are made of metals capable of being kneaded.
 11. A desk in accordance with claim 6, in which the desk side parts are made of plastic.
 12. A desk in accordance with claim 1, comprising on the underside of the folding flap at a small distance short of its front end a locking sheet metal element projecting downwards and having a hole, a cylinder lock mounted in the respective side part, and a pin on the lock arranged to fit into the hole.
 13. A desk in accordance with claim 1, in which each side part is divided up into an upper side board and a lower support which can be vertically adjusted in relation to the side board.
 14. A desk in accordance with claim 13, in which the lower support overlaps the respective side board and the desk comprises screw connecting means which can be undone for holding the respective support in relation to the side board and enabling them to be adjusted in relation to each other vertically.
 15. A desk in accordance with claim 14, in which each lower support has at least one vertical row of holes for the screw attachment means, the distance between the holes being matched to suit the different desired heights of the desk.
 16. A desk in accordance with claim 14, in which each lower support has at least one vertical slot for a stepless setting of height by means of the screw setting means.
 17. A desk in accordance with claim 16, in which to the inside on each side plate and to the outside on the support vertically running girders are provided, the girder on the side board Being adapted to engage the girder of the support.
 18. A desk in accordance with claim 17, in which the supports extend downwards between the inner side of the side boards and the lateral ends of the compartment bottom and are arranged on both sides at a small distance in relation to the side boards. 